Sleeping Lion
by LadyChaos
Summary: What happens when Kyushu's Wild Lion and Divine Dragon tangle? Tachibana Kippei and Chitose Senri's story. Part of the longer A Song for Crows Fudomine arc. Rated T for fade to beachsheets covering up the good bits action. Be warned.
1. Catalyst Part 1

**A/N:** Well, here it is! The first multi-chapter Fudomine fanfic that's part of my larger _A Song for Crows_ arc. _Sleeping Lion_ focuses on Tachibana Kippei, how he gave up tennis only to rediscover it and rebuild it with Fudomine and lead a no-name, underdog team to the Nationals. I adore Fudomine and think that school's tale makes a more compelling story than the prince who came from America's does. I've tried to merge manga with anime as much as possible.

**Disclaimer:**I wish I owned Prince of Tennis, any of its characters or any part of it, but I don't!

**Warnings:** Slash. Shonen-ai. Yaoi. BL. Whatever you call it, it's alluded to in this fic, so don't read it if you can't stand it. The rating is accurate, however… This fic is smut-free. Watch out for mild language and some innuendo. Not every tennis player is gay--mostly because I find that unrealistic--but several are, some are hetero and some are bi (just like in real life).

**Pairings:** Tachibana/Chitose, Tachibana/Yuuta (later chapters), others

I love all feedback, reviews, and critiques. Flames will be tossed in the fireplace!

**The Sleeping Lion**

**1 - Catalyst**

A sound, not quite gasp and not quite chuckle, escaped Chitose's throat.

"Wow. Are you positive you haven't done this before?"

Tachibana Kippei leaned his damp forehead against his partner's, the strangled pants issuing from his throat the only answer he could manage.

"I mean, you were so … masterful." Chitose purred. Kippei felt a flush warm his cheeks. "Man, all I did was give you a little tongue and next thing I knew I was flat on my back."

Kippei silently thanked the dusk that both transformed his room into shadow and concealed yet another blush. Senri had spent the three weeks since Nationals teasing his best friend and tennis rival: An accidental stroke of his hand across Kippei's bare belly when reaching for his locker, a hungry glance that scorched up and down his body when the pair faced off across the net, languid, soapy stretches in the clubhouse showers with only Kippei to witness. Kippei knew Senri, and he knew full well that every movement had been a carefully calculated ballet intended to awaken the sleeping lion.

He dipped his head and kissed the bite mark that marred Chitose's skin just below his collar bone.

"I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?"

"This guy pounds me like a pile driver, delivers the best mind-numbing sex I've ever had and worries that he _hurt_ me?

"Senri—"

"Want to try for thirds?"

"Senri!"

"Okay, okay." Chitose stretched languidly beneath Kippei. Smirk followed stretch when the blond couldn't suppress his involuntary response. "Feels to me that you're … up … for another helping."

Kippei silenced his tormentor the only way he knew how.

Some while later.

"Can I have my hands back now?"

Kippei burst into laughter. Still, he loosened his grip and allowed Senri to wriggle free of his confinement. "God, Senri! Doesn't anything shut you up?"

"Mmmmm. I can think of a few things. Want me to enumerate, Simba?"

"Grr."

This time, it was Chitose's turn to laugh. Kippei rolled to the side, grateful for the cool breeze that swept through his open window and cooled his overheated body.

"You sure you can't stay the night?"

"Nah, my folks put me on a curfew after they saw my last chemistry test." Chitose rubbed at his wrists. "Damn, Kippei. I'm just now getting some feeling back in my arms. I always forget how strong your grip is. Good thing wrist bands hide bruising." Chitose ruined his pout by winking. "You beast."

Kippei caught one of Senri's hands and planted a soft kiss on his wrist. "Sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"It's all good. I should know better than to tease you. When you let go, you really let go, don't you? All that bottled up passion. Mmmmmmm." Chitose cupped Kippei's jaw before he sank his fingers in the other boy's shaggy, blond mane. "Can you blame me for being intrigued?"

"Hey, Senri?"

"Hmmmm?"

"About—"

Chitose kissed him, deep and swift, and then sat up. "You think too much, Kippei." Chitose fished around on the floor for his pants.

Kippei watched light and shadow undulate across his boyfriend's back. He wanted to preserve this moment, lift it out of time and lock it away someplace safe. He wanted to pull Senri back down and make sweet love to him. Or slam into him for some spine-numbing sex. Preferably both. Whatever it took to keep the other boy by his side.

He wanted to tell him how much he loved him.

But that, according to Chitose, qualified as "thinking too much." He was really into that laid back, free and easy, hippie act of his.

So instead, Kippei watched his lover pull on his clothes and said nothing. No, Chitose wasn't one for words and serious moments. But they loved each other. Kippei often was confused about a lot of things when it came to Chitose, but that wasn't one of them. He reached out and trailed his index finger down the other boy's spine, coming to rest at the cleft of his lover's buttocks. Chitose shivered, and Kippei grinned. No, some things weren't confusing at all.

He stood and also began to dress. His little sister's recital must be over by now. Soon An and his parents would be home. He didn't want anyone to burst into his room and find him sprawled on the bed, naked and satiated. He tossed a pillow at Senri. Naturally, the Divine Dragon dodged. He had excellent reflexes.

"An's been doing some serious crushing on you, ya know."

Chitose sniggered. "I know. She's a cute little thing. Maybe I'll start a Tachibana collection."

Silence.

"Joke, Kippei. Joke."

More silence.

"God, this sister fixation of yours isn't healthy, you know. People will get the wrong idea."

"Gross!"

"Hah. I knew that'd get a rise out of you. Relax, Kippei, there's only one Tachibana for me." Chitose shrugged into his shirt, turned, grabbed Kippei's chin and planted a sloppy kiss on his lips.

"But you do know I like girls, too, right?" He added as his parting shot. "Don't see me out. Get some rest." He waved jauntily and added, "Don't fall in love with anyone while I'm away." With that he was gone.


	2. Catalyst Part 2

**A/N: Part 2 of Chapter 1. We see Kippei and An's relationship. _Sleeping Lion_ focuses on Tachibana Kippei, how he gave up tennis only to rediscover it and rebuild it with Fudomine and lead a no-name, underdog team to the Nationals. I adore Fudomine and think that school's tale makes a more compelling story than the prince who came from America's does. I've tried to merge manga with anime as much as possible.**

**Disclaimer:I wish I owned Prince of Tennis, any of its characters or any part of it, but I don't!**

**Warnings: Slash. Shonen-ai. Yaoi. BL. Whatever you call it, it's alluded to in this fic, so don't read it if you can't stand it. The rating is accurate, however… This fic is smut-free. Watch out for mild language and some innuendo. Not every tennis player is gay--mostly because I find that unrealistic--but several are, some are hetero and some are bi (just like in real life).**

**Pairings: Tachibana/Chitose, Tachibana/Yuuta (later chapters), others**

**I love all feedback, reviews, and critiques. Flames will be tossed in the fireplace!**

**2 - Catalyst**

An sighed when her brother reset the ball machine for the 79th time. She knew it was reset 79 because she'd scribbled hash marks in her notebook margin to keep track. He'd set a new record last Tuesday. That evening, Kippei had dumped the hopper back into the machine 121 times. Her watch read 8:05 PM when they'd finished up, and the pair had been late for dinner. Mom had been furious, but Kippei calmed her down before brother and sister had both been grounded—he could always wriggle out of punishments—with the promise they wouldn't stay out so late ever again. But he had never—which meant An never—missed a day since he'd began working on the new technique. Rain or shine or dark of night, she thought with a grin. Like postmen.

Kippei had perfected the stance for his _Abare dama_ two weeks ago, but he could slip into position ahead of a returning ball less than half of the time. That wasn't good enough. Not for Kippei Tachibana. The movement needed to be instinctual; hence, the evening ritual with the ball machine.

He didn't always work so intensely. He'd only managed 33 resets last night, but that had been the night of An's recital and he hadn't wanted her to be late. Chitose-niisan had dropped by toward the tail end of the workout. He said it was to walk them home and go over some chemistry problems with Kippei. An suspected he'd actually shown up so he could spy on her brother. The _Kouhaku-sen_ was just a few days away, and Kyushu's two star aces always skirmished over Shishigaku's number one spot. Now that the season had wound down, next year's captaincy was also on the line.

"You seem awfully interested in onii-chan's _Abare dama,"_ she'd told him.

"Wild ball? Is that what he's calling it?" Chitose chuckled, but he never looked away from the court. "It's beautiful," he concluded.

"Kippei's beautiful," she amended. Her brother had drawn up—like a crane, she thought—before smashing the ball across the net. She couldn't tell where it landed until after impact. The effect always made her blink.

Chitose gave her a good-natured shove. "Sisters shouldn't say stuff like that. It's weird."

"But true. You think he's beautiful, too. Don't you, Chitose-niisan?" An frowned. "I don't get it. It's just Kippei. But like this he's beautiful."

They watched the boy on the court, the soft pok-pok-thwack of the tennis balls the only sound.

"Passion."

An looked at her companion. "What?"

"Passion. That's what you see." Chitose could never talk without waving his hands around, and this time was no different. He looked like he wanted to sketch something in the air but couldn't get the picture right. "Your brother's all about contained passion. That's what the wild beast is, really. We're all taught from an early age to cage our inner demon, but on the court, Kippei slips his leash and runs free." Was Chitose-niisan _blushing?_ "Or does that sound stupid?"

"Stupid. You think too much. But maybe," she allowed, "true all the same. Chitose?"

He had the best eyes, deep and dark and insightful. The way they looked at her now made her feel, well, all squishy inside.

"Chitose-niisanisbeautifultoo!" Oh, god! Had she really just said that?

Chitose blinked, then a slow smirk slanted across his face. For some reason, she remembered that dream she'd had about going to class clad only in her nighty. "Is that so?"

An's fingers dug into her palms, and she nodded. Heat flashed across her cheeks. Why did she blush over _everything?_ So embarrassing. She didn't dare look at him. Beside her, Chitose shifted.

"Tell me that again in a year or two," he murmured into her ear.

An scuttled away from him. A tingle shivered its way down her neck to her toes. "Don't _do_ that!"

He answered her glare with a grin and reached out to tap her nose with one long finger. "Just like your brother."

What did he mean by that? Best not to ask. An decided it was time to ignore Chitose-niisan. He played clever word games that always short-circuited her brainwaves.

They continued to watch Kippei as he returned ball after ball. What had Chitose meant by 'a year or two?' Did he know she had a huge crush on him? Maybe Kippei told him? Oh, kami-sama, just kill her now. An stared resolutely at the court. Her brother's _Abare dama_ failed to reappear.

"He hasn't nailed it yet," Chitose concluded. "Or is he being cagey?"

"Nah. He only makes about half of them. But he's getting close. I bet he has it by rankings." She gave Chitose a playful poke. "You're going down."

"No way!"

"And you're gonna have to give me that autographed poster. I won't let you welch on a bet again."

"In your dreams."

"Loser!"

"Dreamer."

"Singles _two!"_

They'd bickered like that throughout the walk home until Kippei had threatened to force feed them both wasabi. But An had been right. Kippei was close to perfecting his _Abare dama._

Because today, around reset 51, all the variables meshed into a magnificent whole. Only Kippei's drive for perfection kept him (and her) at the court for an additional hour and a half. An didn't mind. It made her onii-chan happy. Besides, she'd used the time to finish her world history homework and get a head start on Monday's English assignment. She'd even managed to yell the occasional sisterly encouragement when needed. An mentally patted herself on the back. Damn, she was good.

"Something funny?" Kippei asked. He'd finished up batch 79 and trotted to where An sat on the bleachers.

"Just your face!" An stuck out her tongue and dodged to avoid the incoming noogie.

Kippei accepted her proffered towel and mopped his face and neck. "Brat. Why do I put up with you?"

"Because I'm your beloved imouto and I help you pick up the balls?"

"One out of two, at least. Speaking of picking up balls …."

An shoved her textbooks back into her tennis bag—she never carried a backpack. "Sure."

"Get your racquet if you want. We can play a few volleys before we leave."

"All right!"

Kippei laughed and tugged one of her pigtails. "Not too many. I'm beat."

"You just want to look cool when you show up at the _Kouhaku-sen_ tomorrow. Chitose-niisan says he's gonna take your singles one spot this time, but I bet him my new Chocolates CD that he won't."

"We're evenly matched. Don't come crying to me if you lose."

An beamed at her older brother. "I won't lose. I can't wait to see his face when you tell him you finally nailed the _Abare dama._"

As expected, Kippei demolished her on the court. An loved playing her brother because he always played her seriously even though she knew she wasn't a challenge to him. She hated it when people—especially boys—took it easy on her. Speaking of which, she thought as they walked home, she'd better ask him to sign the note Ishiyama-sensai had sent home with her. "Onii-chan?"

"Hmm?"

An felt inside the Velcro-ed pouch of her bag and found the note. "Can you sign this for me?" She made certain to keep it folded with only the signature line showing.

"When I get home. I don't have a pen." Kippei didn't bother to look. Their parents both traveled so much on business that he was used to forging the necessary signatures.

"Here's one."

This time, her brother not only looked at the proffered paper. He stopped so suddenly An bumped into him.

"What's this for? Permission slip?"

"Something like that." An studied her shoelaces as though she hadn't seen them at all today. She knew he'd read the fib if she looked him in the eye. Considering it was her brother, he might be able to read her brain waves, too. She concentrated harder on her shoelaces. Just in case.

"You don't say?"

Whoops. That was Kippei's "I know you're telling a whopper" tone. He accepted the pen and took Sensei's note.

"Maybe I should read it—"

"Field trip!"

"Really? I thought you have two exams Monday."

"Yeah, but after that's the field trip to … um … Suizenji Koen."

This wasn't going as smoothly as she'd planned. Why couldn't he just take the darn pen and sign the darn letter? She dared to peek at him through her lashes.

"Hmmm. I think I will read it."

"If you don't want to sign it, just say so. I guess I can spend my time—all alone—friendless—in the library while everyone else is enjoying the best gardens in all Japan." Gosh, that did sound fun. She wished she really was going on a field trip.

"I wouldn't want you to be lonely," Kippei allowed and motioned for An to turn around so he could use her back as a writing desk. She sighed. That was close! He handed her back pen and paper when he'd finished.

"Thanks."

"No problem." They walked on a bit further. "So, tell me. What did you get into a fight about this time?"

"Kippeiiiiiiii!"

"Well? Some boy pull your pigtails? That Onigawa girl call you pig breath again? What was it?"

An kicked at a tuft of grass . "How'd you know?"

"You're an awful liar. Besides, your left eye's starting to blacken."

An's hand flew to her face, and Kippei grinned. "You jerk! I didn't even get hit there."

"Gotchya." Kippei shot An with an imaginary finger gun. "Really, Anzu-chan—"

"I am _not_ a stupid apricot seed!" She stomped her foot. Bad enough her mother named her after some stupid British princess, did she have to use that particular kanji, too?

"Anzu-chan, you're almost too easy to rile. You need to control your temper better. These kids only tease you because they can get a rise out of you."

"Well, you'd of been mad, too."

"Doubtful."

An narrowed her eyes. "You don't say?" She mimicked. "Tell me what you think of this, then." And she began to sing. "An and Kippei sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G—"

For the second time that day, An ran into Kippei's back.

"What brought that on?" He finally asked.

"You remember Tanaka-kun?"

"The short kid with glasses that's followed you around since fifth grade?"

"That's the one. He cornered me at lunch and asked me to a movie this weekend. I said no—I don't want to miss your tournament. Next thing I know, he's grabbing at me and trying to kiss me. So I hit him. Then one of _his_ buddies made some crack that I only had eyes for my big brother, everyone started laughing and making kissy noises, and Tanaka started singing that stupid song—he was pretty mad—so I hit him. And, um, about five other people I think."

Kippei snorted. "You think?"

"It's not like I keep count of these things!"

"Could've fooled me. I thought you were going for a world record or something. An, you can't settle your problems like this. You'll get expelled. Besides, you're not in grade school anymore. You need to act more like a … lady."

It was An's turn to snort. "Why should I let some boy—who I don't even like, mind you—grope me just because he thinks he's in love with me? Next time I'll just flutter my hands, swoon, whisper, 'please, no!' and let him do whatever he likes! Will that satisfy your criteria for ladylike behavior?"

"Stop being difficult—"

An stamped her foot. "No! _You_ stop being difficult! It's easy for you! You're a boy. Boys are allowed to defend themselves if they have to. Heck, they can even start a fight if they feel it's justified. But not girls. Oh, no. We have to be meek and mild and—and—stupid! I hate it! I hate it!" Darn it. She could feel that burning start deep in her chest and she knew she was going to cry any second. Just like a girl.

Kippei sighed and dug into a pocket. He didn't look at her when he handed her the handkerchief. An dabbed her eyes.

"I hate you."

"I know."

"I hate Shishigaku."

"It's a terrible school."

"I hate being a 'little lady.'"

"It's hell. I especially hate the frilly dresses."

"I ha—" An glared. "Stop trying to make me laugh."

Kippei's arm snaked around her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. "That's better."

She allowed herself to relax against him, then thought better of it. "What? You don't mind sitting in a tree?"

"Not one bit. Forget about anything idiots say, An. It's all excess air."

"I do love you, Kippei. You're my onii-chan. I can't help it that we aren't at each other's throats like most of the brothers and sisters we know."

"Thank God. It's hard enough getting along with you as it is." He gave her a little shake. "But no more fighting. Do you want to scare away all the boys? I'm sure there're a few cute ones that aren't too stupid that would be worth your time."

"Nope. I've decided to be a playgirl when I grow up. I'll gather up their worthless hearts and trample them in the dust." Actually, on her tenth birthday she'd decided that she'd never fall for anyone who didn't shine as bright as her brother. But Kippei needn't know that.

"Have a heart. The big brother's job is to protect his little sister. You want to drive me to an early grave?"

"Okay. I won't start my heart collection until I'm 35."

"That's better. I think brothers are allowed to be a bit lax once their sisters hit middle age."

They shared a smile. "Darn you, Kippei. You never let me win."

"That's one of my big brother perks."

He gave her hand a little pat when she twined her arm through his. "You're my favorite sister, Apricot."

"I'm your only sister. And don't call me Apricot."

"Brat. Hey, you remember that time we went to Okinawa and that boy kicked over your sand castle?"

"Do I! But he didn't kick it over; he pushed me into it. I thought you were going to pound him into the surf except Dad hauled you off him. His mom sure screeched, though." An smirked at the memory. "He called me an ugly duckling and I cried and I cried and I cried. He said no one would ever marry me and I'd turn into a wrinkled old witch that ate puppies and babies."

"And I promised to marry you if no one else wanted you."

An laughed. "The ultimate sacrifice! Don't worry. I won't hold you to a promise you made when you were six."

"Nah. That makes me your fiancé in a way. Let people talk. To hell with them. So long as we know the truth. That's all that matters."

"Yeah. Who cares about sicko people with sicko minds?"

"Exactly. Hey, wanna race?"

"Last one home's a rotten—Kippei! No fair starting before I say 'go'! Hey! Wait up! Kip-peiiiii!"

_**Glossary**_

_Kouhaku-sen_ - "Battle/Tournament of Reds & Whites" - Shishigaku's intra-squad tournament match

_Abare dama - _Wild Ball - Kippei's new move that had a profound "impact" on Chitose Senri.

Suizenji Koen - Famous Japanese-style garden in Kumamoto (Kyushu prefecture)

An - Yes, the kanji for An's name means "apricot" or "apricot seed" according to online resources. I decided to keep the "an" spelling and have some fun with that.


	3. Catalyst Part 3

**A/N: Part 3 of Chapter 1, the worst day of Tachibana's life. _Sleeping Lion_ focuses on Tachibana Kippei, how he gave up tennis only to rediscover it and rebuild it with Fudomine and lead a no-name, underdog team to the Nationals. I adore Fudomine and think that school's tale makes a more compelling story than the prince who came from America's does. I've tried to merge manga with anime as much as possible. **

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned Prince of Tennis, any of its characters or any part of it, but I don't! I also don't play tennis and I'm not a doctor, so be gentle!**

**Warnings: Slash. Shonen-ai. Yaoi. BL. Whatever you call it, it's alluded to in this fic, so don't read it if you can't stand it. The rating is accurate, however… This fic is smut-free. Watch out for mild language and some innuendo. Not every tennis player is gay--mostly because I find that unrealistic--but several are, some are hetero and some are bi (just like in real life).**

**Pairings: Tachibana/Chitose, Tachibana/Yuuta (later chapters), others**

**I love all feedback, reviews, and critiques. Flames will be tossed in the fireplace!**

**3 - Catalyst**

Some mornings, thought Kippei as he dashed through the Shishigaku gates, fate conspired against him. Take this morning, for instance. He'd set his alarm thirty minutes early so he could get to school in plenty of time to meet up with Senri and share the good news about the _Abare dama,_ and, if not too many people were already out and about, maybe even demonstrate his new move. Instead, last night's storm cut the power on their block and he woke up an hour late. He wouldn't have had any breakfast at all if An hadn't shoved an onigiri in his hand as he hurled down the stairs and toward the door.

Arakawa-buchou frowned and tapped his watch when Kippei rounded the corner of the courts.

"Sorry! Sorry! Alarm didn't go off."

"At least you had the sense to dress out before coming," the captain allowed. "Stash your bag and hurry back here. People are already arriving, and I want to get this show on the road. Grab Chitose and Daimaru while you're at it. They're dawdling."

Kippei sketched a salute and jogged toward the clubhouse. Tardiness would have cost him 50 laps easy during the playing season. After Nationals, it only earned him a mild scolding. He didn't like the way discipline slacked in the off season. It set a bad example. He didn't like it last year, liked it even less as a junior and no doubt would hate it even more next year. Arakawa had yet to name his successor, but if he beat out Senri for the captaincy, post season discipline procedure was one item he planned to change.

He banged into the clubhouse, hollering. "Rise and shine, ladies! Captain wants you on the court—"

_Senri, wearing only his jersey, shoved up against the lockers, legs wrapped high around Daimaru's back. Daimaru, grunting like a dying bull each time he thrust into the taller boy._

Kippei's tennis bag thumped to the ground.

Chitose's eyes flashed open and pinned Kippei's. Mouthing a kiss at his lover of two night's past, he nipped at Daimaru's ear. Kippei heard him moan, "You beast," as he let the door fall shut.

"Aren't they coming?" growled Arakawa a few minutes later when Kippei collapsed on the bench beside him.

"Oh, yes. They're coming, all right."

_Oh, yes. They're coming all right._

The clay near the player benches needed repair. Kippei stared at a tiny, terra cotta pebble that had come loose from the court. Two edges were rough, one smooth. The fourth intrigued him. Half smooth, half rough. How and why had that come about? It was a mystery.

_Senri, wearing only his jersey, shoved up against the lockers, legs wrapped high around Daimaru's back._

"Tachibana!"

He started, guiltily aware his buchou had been talking to him.

"I said grab some water. It's going to be another scorcher, and you're already acting heat stroked."

Kippei pocketed the pebble before excusing himself to dig into the team's ice chest. When he resumed his place beside Arakawa, Senri and Daimaru had arrived. Characteristically, Senri leaned his long frame against the chain link fence by the benches. Uncharacteristically, he'd inserted a hand between the fence and Daimaru's back.

Arakawa caught the byplay. "God. Chitose's such a slut. I think you're the only one smart enough to keep him at bay."

The water settled like ice in his stomach. Kippei considered. "Including you?"

"He nailed me last year just one month after he joined the club."

This surprised Kippei. He didn't realize Arakawa was gay. The captain looked sheepish.

"I'm not," he said, reading the unspoken thought. "Chitose's just that good. I know you're friends and all, but be sure you watch him next year or he'll wreak havoc with your freshmen. Nothing's worse than a team with girl—or boy—friend problems."

Kippei thumbed the pebble in his left pocket. Rough. Rough. Smooth. Arakawa nudged him.

"The least you can do is say 'thank you, buchou, for entrusting Shishigaku's future with me.'"

"Thank you, Buchou, for entrusting Shishigaku's future with me," Kippei parroted. Rough. Rough. Smooth. Rough-smooth. The captain's comment seeped into his thought processes.

Arakawa watched Kippei's expression change and laughed. "You really are out of it, aren't you? Look sharp. I counted 52 recruiters here already. I know you won't start high school for another year, but you can get a head start on impressing a good school. You're in Block A. I put Chitose in Block B. I expect the two of you to battle it out over singles one. I know it doesn't matter now that the season's ended, but try and make the crowd happy. Lord knows the reporters will eat up a fight between Kyushu's Wild Lion and Divine Dragon."

Kippei nodded. Rough. Rough. Smooth. An's voice flitted over the air.

"Chitose-niisan! Chitose-niisan! I hope you brought my autographed poster with you!"

"You got my Chocolates CD, An-chan?"

"You just have my poster ready, loser boy!"

Arakawa frowned at the exchange. "And I'd watch my sister around him, too."

Rough. Rough. Smooth. Rough-smooth.

Kyushu's Wild Lion breezed through his first three matches, winning in straight sets with surgical precision. His fourth posed more of a challenge. This time, Chitose clasped his hand across the net.

"Fancy meeting you here," the Block B victor grinned. "An-chan's going to miss that Chocolates CD of hers."

"Cocky. You haven't won yet."

Chitose tugged on Kippei's fist and brought their heads closer together. "You should know just how cocky I am, lover. God, that Daimaru's just too easy. He was the only one who could possibly challenge me in my ladder. But let him taste a little of the old Chitose charm and I had him so worked up he just rolled over and let me give it to him."

Rough. Rough. Smooth. Rough-smooth. Kippei felt the skin around his teeth stretch. "'It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations.' Tolkein," he added when he saw Chitose's quizzical expression. "I hope you studied your equations, Senri."

Chitose smirked. "I always ace my maths, Kippei. Rough or smooth? Oh, right. You like it rough."

Kippei won with smooth and elected to serve.

What had Senri meant_—I had him so worked up?_ Kippei glared at the ground as he bounced the tennis ball prior to first service. Had that been his strategy all along? Had he been _played?_

His serve rocketed into the deuce court just to the right of Senri's jaw.

And across the baseline.

"Fault!"

"Is that all you got?" Senri taunted. "I expected the wild lion, not a castrated cub!"

"Come and catch me then!" bellowed Kippei. His second serve bulleted crosscourt, dipped with a wicked slice and jammed Chitose's left side. The Dragon danced sideways and just managed to return the favor. Kippei spanked the ball crosscourt again. It bounced deep on the tramline, and forced Chitose into a diving backhand. The ball landed center court, and Kippei smacked it into Chitose's ad court with an inside-out forehand.

"Uoooraaa!"

"Fifteen-love."

The spectator whispers increased to a shocked buzz. "Wild lion." "Did you see that?" "Tachibana's _Moujou _aura_."_ "Scary." "He made it look easy." "No, Chitose's toying with him."

Kippei stalked into the ad court, teeth bared in lieu of a smile. "Has the Dragon clipped his wings?"

Chitose returned service this time—he wasn't the master of finesse for nothing.

"Too slow," Kippei roared.

_Thwack!_

"Weak!"

_Thwack!_

"Pathetic!"

_Thwack!_

"Pitiful!"

Was he insulting Senri's returns or his own naïveté? Kippei wasn't sure anymore. The ball whizzed past his ear.

"Fifteen-all!"

"Get your head in the game, Kippei."

_Senri, wearing only his jersey, shoved up against the lockers, legs wrapped high around Daimaru's back._ No! He wouldn't think of it. Not now. Nothing existed save for this court, the tiny yellow ball and his prey. He thumbed the pebble in his pocket—rough, rough, smooth, rough-smooth—before fishing out another ball. No way would he lose his service game. A movement on the sideline caught Kippei's attention: Daimaru cheering his lover. Laughter burbled past his lips, humorless and scathing. It was all so absurd.

_I'll relish mauling you._

Another spinner. This time he would set up the _Abare dama._ No way could Senri know how to counter its multi-ball effect. The match would be his. And maybe, just maybe, this hollowness inside would go away. Chitose took the bait and answered with a passing shot heavy with topspin. Kippei pounced.

He hurtled to intercept the ball, skidded and twisted on his left leg for the push, drawing up his right and extending his right elbow behind him.

_Let's go, Senri! _

Momentum—momentum of the left-leg skid and push-off, centrifugal force of quads, glutes, lats, ball's kinetic energy, dip and twist of the racquet, smack the ball with the shank, not the strings—a ball that with any other technique would fly wild and out of bounds—a ball cloaked by the _Abare dama's_ illusion of 1000 spheres to confuse and pin his prey—a ball that could only be a winner.

"The Dragon's charging the net!" "Watch out!" "Right into no-man's land!" "Senri!"

"Uoorrraaa!"

A sickening, hollow thump was followed by the skitter of racquet across the clay court, screams, and the thud of Senri's body. Kippei blinked. Why didn't the line judge call his point? Why were these people pouring onto his court, his turf? He had a match to play.

"Oi! Senri, get up!" He shook the net for emphasis. Small hands grasped his forearm.

"Onii-chan, come away."

Wait. Was that blood?

"This is bad! Ambulance! Hurry up and call an ambulance!" Arakawa bent over Chitose's prone form.

"Come away, Kippei." He finally noticed who held him.

"An?" He looked from his trembling sister back to Senri. "Wha—? Are you crying?"

She failed miserably at a smile. Her gaze snaked back toward Chitose. Blood seeped between the fingers the boy held cupped to his right eye. Chitose groaned.

"Don't move," Buchou pressed Chitose down when he tried to sit up. The captain looked over his shoulder toward Kippei and his sister. "An-chan, get Tachibana out of here."

An nodded and tugged at him again. Kippei shook his head to free it of the roaring, whirring, clicking sound tunnel that trapped him. Rough. Rough. Smooth. Rough-smooth. Wait. Why was Senri on the ground? He locked gazes with Chitose.

"You should have told me … Kippei … that you perfected it."

"Senri?"

Chitose shuddered and lay still.

His haze lifted. They were on the court. He'd hit the _Abare dama._ Chitose had charged straight into the path of the oncoming ball, the _150 KPH_ ball. Kippei gaped at the blood.

"My god. Senri? Senri? _Senri!"_ He had clambered halfway over the net before he was hauled back.

"Kippei!" An tugged harder. "We need to leave. _Now."_

He tried to wrestle free, but she clutched him tightly and pulled him inexorably toward the gate. "Not. Now." She hissed. He realized the whirring and clicking noise came from cameras.

Kippei escaped and dodged around the end of the net. Senri needed him! "Senri! Are you okay?"

Daimaru's fist sent him sprawling.

"Haven't you done enough?" the second year snarled. Kippei scrambled to his feet only to have Daimaru knock him down again. "You saw us! Chitose said you'd be mad, but I never imagined you'd try to hurt him—"

_Senri, wearing only his jersey, shoved up against the lockers, legs wrapped high around Daimaru's back._

"You're wrong!"

"Liar! Spiteful, jealous, evil—"

_Daimaru, grunting like a dying bull each time he thrust into the taller boy._

"Shut. Up!" Kippei launched himself at Daimaru.

"No!" An darted between them. Kippei tried to deflect his swing, but he felt his fist slam into his sister, heard her gasp and Daimaru shout.

"Oh my god! That boy just hit that little girl!" "He's crazy!" "Get a picture!"

The force pushed An into Daimaru. He caught her, stumbling a little. An started to cry, deep, heart wrenching sobs. Her right eye was already closing.

An ambulance siren blared in the distance. Rough. Rough. Smooth.

"An?"

"Your own sister!" Daimaru wrapped his arms around An. "Animal! Come any closer and I'll kill you. Don't worry, An-chan. I won't let him hurt you. Don't be afraid."

Somehow, he'd swallowed molten lead that had burned its way through his heart past his stomach and straight into his soul. Kippei reached out a hand.

"An? I didn't mean—" Kippei raised a hand to her, then dropped it.

"Bastard!" An squirmed free of Daimaru. She whirled around and slapped the second year hard across the jaw. "How dare you!" She hit him again—with her fist. "Leave Kippei alone!" This time she kicked him. Each kick and punch was punctuated with a choice obscenity.

"Ow! Hey! Stop it, you little bitch!" Daimaru tried to grab her hands only to find out the hard way that you can't thwart a whirlwind.

Kippei encircled his sister from behind and hauled her against his chest. "An. Shhhh. Apricot." An twisted in his arms and buried her head against his chest. Her shoulders shook with each sob. "I'm so sorry."

"Let's go home, Kippei."

He stared at the vignette behind her. The paramedics had arrived and were hoisting Chitose onto a stretcher. He gave An a comforting squeeze.

"Home."

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, OW!" An batted Kippei's hand away for the fifth time. "That hurts!"

Afternoon light poured through the living room window and washed across the sofa. Kippei had settled them on the couch and was attempting—no help from An—to clean her up. Despite the eight aspirin he'd downed as soon as they'd reached home, his head still felt like someone had unscrewed his skull and settled in to pound a drum solo on his brain. Kippei just wanted to get An comfortable so he could head for the hospital and check on Senri. He tried again to dab the abrasion below her eye with antiseptic. She swatted it away.

"Stop being such a baby."

"Am not a baby."

"Too."

"Not!"

"Who's the one arguing over this?"

"Who's the one who hit me?"

Kippei let his hands fall to his lap and turned away. An was being playful to keep his mind off Senri, but her injury had to be painful. And he was the cause. Why? He'd hurt the two people he loved most in all the world in a hand span of minutes. He must be cursed, like a monster from a folktale, doomed to devour the people he valued most. He leaned his head back against the couch, closed his eyes and sighed.

"Onii-chan …."

The phone interrupted anything further she had to say. Kippei snatched it up when he saw Arakawa listed on the caller ID. His buchou wasted no time.

"It's bad."

"I'll be right there—"

"No! Stay away from the hospital, Tachibana. Sentiment's running … cold … at the moment."

"But, Senri—"

"Do you _want_ to go another round with Daimaru? Chitose-kun's parents are down here, and they aren't happy. They don't deserve this, and they sure as hell do _not_ want to see you."

"How is he?"

"Still unconscious, but I think that may be due to the painkillers they're feeding him." The crackle of paper sounded over the phone line before his captain's voice intoned, "Open globe trauma to the right orbit resulting in retinal detachment, blunt-force rupture of the eye wall, severe vitreous hemorrhage and blowout fracture of the orbital floor and wall. There may be cataracts, but it's too early to tell. They need to stabilize the injury. He'll undergo surgery in two or three days to repair the socket and attempt to reattach the retina."

"What does that mean?"

"He may never see out of that eye again."

It was all too much: Senri, Daimaru, the accident, An. Cold. So cold. He felt like he'd never get warm again. Something warm and wet dropped onto his clenched fists. He couldn't stop shaking. An slipped the phone from his fingers.

"Arakawa-buchou? It's An. Yes. Thank you for calling. No, I'm fine. Kippei … don't worry. We understand. I'll take care of him. Thank you again. Please let us know if there's any change. I will. Goodbye."

The cushion settled as she kneeled beside him and pulled him close for a hug.

"An—" he clutched at her skirt and sobbed.

"Shhhh," she murmured, patting him awkwardly. "Shhhh."

"I hurt him, An."

"An accident."

"And I hurt you."

"Only because I didn't duck soon enough." She was a lousy actress. He could feel her shaking, too. He knew he should pull himself together and be strong for his imouto, but he couldn't. He couldn't.

"I was so angry—"

"It was an accident. You didn't aim at Chitose-niisan. He ran right into the oncoming ball."

"I _wanted_ to hurt him. I wanted to hurt him as much as he hurt me. God, Daimaru! Anyone but him! Why'd he do it, An? I don't understand. I love him. I thought he loved me." He couldn't seem to stop crying. "I love him—"

His sister's hands stilled. "We all love him, Kippei."

"No, An. You don't get it. _I love Senri."_

She said nothing. After a moment, he felt her cheek rub against his hair. "I … understand. Shush, now. He's a fighter. He'll be okay, Kippei."

"He won't. He won't. I took everything from him. Oh, god! I'll never pick up a racquet again."

"Shhhh. Hush."

And they wept. They wept long after the evening shadows lengthened into night. They wept for lost love and blind betrayal, for unbridled fury and terrifying remorse until at last no tears would fall and they collapsed into exhausted sleep supported by each other's arms.

**_Glossary_**

_Shishigaku -_ Kyushu school that Tachibana attended prior to moving to Tokyo. Shishigaku made it to the semifinals at Nationals with the help of its two aces, Tachibana and Chitose.

_Wild Lion/Divine Dragon of Kyushu -_ Tachibana has the "aura of a wild beast" and the _Abare jisha_ (wild lion) as one of his moves. Chitose later develops a technique known as _kamikakushi_ (divine disappearance). Dragon's are cool, so I made him the "Divine Dragon."

_Moujuu aura -_ aura of the wild beast, similar to the _Muga no Kyoouchi_ (state of self-actualization). Allows the player to draw out hidden ability within him and release his full potential.

_Abare dama -_ "Wild ball," a technique that hits the ball with the shank of the racquet rather than the strings. This creates a multi-ball visual effect and IMO has the most beautifully drawn stance in the manga. I hope we get to see it in the OVAs!

_It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations - _JRR Tolkein from (don't hold me to this!) _The Hobbit._


	4. Variable

**Sleeping Lion Variable**

by: LadyChaos

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis or its characters, but wish I did!

Rating: T

_Did you hear?_

_What?_

_Chitose quit the team—quit tennis._

_Then—_

_Yeah. His eye's screwed. That bast—oh, Tachibana, we … uh … didn't see you._

_An! What happened?_

_S'okay. Tanaka looks worse. They all look worse._

_But your eye—your lip! Sit down. Your uniform's all torn. Who did this to you?_

_Silence._

_An. This was more than one of your scuffles. Who did this? Why?_

_Ow! I can clean it up myself! None of your business, Kippei._

_An …._

_Silence_

_An, please. Don't you shut me out, too._

_Fine. They called you a monster. Said you ought to be locked up—that you hurt Chitose-niisan on purpose. That you were jealous you couldn't beat him._

_He had been jealous. Just not like they thought._

_An, it doesn't—I don't care what they say. Neither should you—_

_What? I'm supposed to come home every day with bruises and cuts because I refuse to defend myself? I'm not you, Kippei._

_Silence_

_I'm suspended_

_What?_

_Two weeks._

_Oh, An._

_Tachibana Kippei? Sakamoto Aiko with _Minomi-Nippon-Shibun._ We'd like your statement about the brutal assault that took place at Shishigaku this weekend. Why did you try to kill your teammate? Is it true he got your sister pregnant? Is that why you hit her and put him in the hospital? _

**-POT-**

The long week wore on. "Brutal assault," the papers labeled the incident. "Teen Uses Violence to Oust Rival," read the headlines. He hadn't _meant_ to hurt Senri … had he? No. Not in a million years. But he'd _wanted_ Senri to hurt. Oh, yes. Wanted him to hurt even one-tenth as much as Kippei hurt. But not like that. Never like that. Kippei's throat tightened and tears burned his eyes. Dead, haunted face stared back at him from the mirror. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I am so sorry." The razor lay cool and smooth against his left wrist. _One little cut._ "Senri…."

**-POT-**

"Onii-chan! Hurry up in there! I need the bath!"

_Everything I touch, I destroy. I even hurt An. I _am_ a monster. A beast._ He fingered the pebble that had somehow migrated from his shorts to his jeans pocket. _Rough. Rough. Smooth. Rough-smooth. Rough. _Kippei slid the razor across his wrist. _Forgive me._

"Kip-pie!" An worried about her onii-chan. He'd always bounced back before, no matter what the adversity. But not this time. Not when it came to Chitose. Her brother moped around the house, refused to eat, to cook. He ran on automatic, sleeping and bathing when she told him to, leaving for school promptly at 6:45 and returning every day at 5:00 with a new set of bruises. His eyes never flickered when the throng of news reporters outside their home flocked around him waving their microphones and writing tablets. Not even now, when, fed up, she had turned the hose on them. He neither looked nor smiled. An missed him. Missed _Kippei_. She missed his wisdom. She missed his humor. She _needed _him. Needed her onii-chan back.

What she didn't need was for him to hog the bathroom when she had to go, darn it! An stamped her foot and banged on the door again. When that failed to garner a response, she shoved. Hard. The bathroom door flew open and slammed against the doorstop. Something metallic clattered to the floor. A straight razor. An stared from it to Kippei and back again.

"Onii-chan?"

Kippei's right hand circled his left wrist to hide the blood. An's gaze followed the movement, widening at the red seeping through his fingers.

"Th-that's otan's raz—" Suddenly it all clicked: the locked door, her father's razor, the blood. "You _bastard!"_ Her fist caught Kippei across the jaw and rocked him back against the vanity. "What the hell were you thinking?" She hit him again and yanked his shielding hand away.

"Thank god. Thank god. You barely cut it." She grabbed a hand towel from the rack and wrapped it around the wound.

"An—"

"Baka! I'm not speaking to you! Idiot. Bastard. Unthinking—" Tears poured down her face. She angrily brushed them aside with her arm. "What'd you think you were doing? Were you going to let me waltz in here and find you sprawled on the bathroom floor in a pool of blood? _Kippei!"_

His voice, when it finally came, throbbed low, hesitant, nearly inaudible. She'd never heard Kippei speak like that before. Cold dread twisted in her stomach. "I just … I just want it to stop hurting. Stop hurting everyone. Maybe, maybe then everything'll be okay."

"Baka!" This time it was An's open palm instead of her fist that stung her brother's cheek. "Okay? OKAY? How is it okay for my onii-chan to be dead? Think. Again."

"Senri—"

Her fingers clinched, but she didn't hit him. Instead, she tossed her hair and failed miserably at her attempt at a mocking laugh. "Oh, I see. And how will you dying give him back his eye?" An grabbed Kippei by the shoulders and _shook._ "Kippei, you're supposed to be the smart one. Start acting like it."

This wasn't her onii-chan. This was some worn out husk, a mannequin. Kippei stared at the floor and wouldn't look at her. Not once had he tried to prevent her from hitting him. Frustrated, she yanked on his hair. "I'm talking to you!"

"Ow!"

At last. A response. An frowned. "You should cut your hair." It made absolutely no sense to talk about this now, but if it got Kippei's attention on her instead of his inner turmoil, she'd do it.

"Can't. Made a promise we wouldn't, me and Senri—"

"Chitose-niisan?"

"Yeah. I—" Kippei ran one big hand through his long blond locks and frowned. "An…? Do you remember why I started dying my hair?"

"I always thought you did because you're vain, that whole 'lion's mane' thing you have going."

Her brother stooped and picked up otan's razor. He flashed a smile at An. "Don't worry. I'm not going to do anything stupid. Again." He turned the razor over and over in his hand. "When we first grew out our hair, people would mistake him for me. Pissed him off because I was the 'Kyushu Ace.' He was still perfecting his moves." He frowned at the memory.

_How the hell can you be the 'wild lion' when you don't look like one?_

_Who says I don't?_

_Lions have golden manes._

_They can have black manes, too._

_Like the evil lion from that Disney movie._

_Gee, thanks. You saying I'm Scar?_

_Why don't you bleach it then?_

_No way. Only girls dye their hair._

_Guys do, too. You'd really look like Kyushu's Wild Lion then._

_No thanks._

_Come on. Double dog dare you._

_No!_

_Coward._

_Not doing it._

_Gutless wonder._

_It's not going to work, Senri._

_Fine. Then I'm cutting my hair._

_You can't! We made a promise._

_Too bad. This weekend. I'm cutting it._

_Fine. You win. I'll dye it._

"Anyway, I dyed my hair so people could tell us apart." Kippei bit his lip. "Screw that. There are other ways to tell us apart." Before An could stop him, he'd lifted the razor and sawed off one long, golden lock.

"Kippei! What are you doing? Stop it!"

"Senri can't play tennis anymore? Right? So who cares if they can't tell us apart?"

"But you love your hair!"

"Not as much as I love him."

**-POT-**

"Tachibana Hideaki here."

An cradled the phone to her ear. She swallowed hard and forced herself to speak. "Otan?"

"An! You shouldn't call me here—"

She didn't want her father to get in trouble at work. But he had to know. "Daddy? Can you come home?" Distant voices, sounding like they erupted form a deep, dank tunnel, shouted in the background. Her father remained silent.

"An, you know I have another week in Hong Kong—"

An tried not to cry. She really did. But her father must have heard her sniffles over the phone line, because he asked, "What's wrong, Apricot?"

"Daddy—Kippei—"

"You and Kippei have a fight? Now that's new. Honey, I know he can be overprotective of his imouto, but he means well." Her father's chuckle warmed her over the miles. If only he'd come home, he'd know what to do.

An glanced over her shoulder just to be on the safe side. Kippei was still upstairs cleaning up. He'd calmly shorn all of his long hair. It looked pretty funny, sticking up at odd angles like that and partially black and partially blond. He said he'd pick up some black dye tomorrow and finish the job. He'd kill her if he knew she'd called their father. She lowered her voice.

"Th-that's not it. Kippei. He needs you, Daddy. We both do." And the whole, sordid story tumbled out. An waited for her father's response. Anger. Concern …. Fear. It didn't come. She probably shouldn't have called. Kippei always wanted to handle problems on his own. Well, that may work out fine for him, but not her. He _wasn't_ handling things at all—unless you called thinking your father's razor was a wonderful means of escape "handling"—and she _needed_ her parents here. She was only twelve, darn it!

"Your mother and I will be there tomorrow."

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

"An? You were right to call me."

Closing her eyes in silent thanks, An replaced the receiver in the cradle.

**-POT-**

Chitose's bed was on the far side of the room, next to the window. A screened divider offered a modicum of privacy; the IV drip-dripping into Senri's left arm could barely be seen. Tachibana paused in the doorway, heart skittering in his chest. Chitose looked thinner, drawn. He couldn't help but stare at the large bandage covering the right side of his boyfriend's face. He swallowed. Hard. _I did that_.

Kippei padded into the room, nodding at the other occupant, an elderly man more intent on the television game show on the wall than on the teenaged boy who'd just invaded his sanctum. He hesitated at the screen, then cleared his throat. His fingers fumbled with the pebble he'd slipped into his pants pocket.

Rough. Rough. Smooth. Rough-smooth.

Chitose didn't bother turning around. "I wondered when you'd show up." Something outside had captured his interest. "There're two robins out there fighting over territory. They were fledglings together. I wonder which will win."

"Senri."

The boy on the bed shifted to face Tachibana. "They used to be friends."

_Used to be. Used to be. Used to be._ "Don't say that—"

"One flew higher and brighter than the other, so its nest mate had to bring it down. Was that how it was, Kippei?"

"No!" He took two steps further into the room. "I would never hurt you. You know I wouldn't."

Chitose's smiled his disbelief. "But you did."

"An accident—"

"Was it?"

"Damnit! Of course it was!" Kippei shoved his hand through his shorn black hair. How could he refute the accusation when he wasn't sure if it was true himself? "Senri," he tried again, "I would never hurt you. I love—"

"You cut your hair."

Tachibana blinked, confused by the sudden change in subject.

"I-it felt right."

"The Lion's mane for the Dragon's eye? Hardly a fair exchange, Kippei."

What do you want me to do? He thought. Pluck out my own eye in atonement? He swallowed the retort and tried again. "What does the doctor say?"

Chitose's hand gingerly touched his bandaged face. "This? He says I'll be lucky to see at all." His smile was more a stretching of lips than anything else. "No more tennis for me. Maybe I'll take up mahjong."

Kippei thumped into the visitor's chair by the side of the bed. "That's not funny."

"No. Not funny. But true."

"Senri—"

"What the hell did you come here for, Kippei? Redemption? Forgiveness? What the fuck am I supposed to say to you?"

"I love—"

"Shut up! You don't know what love is. What's the matter? Scared you wouldn't be number one? That I was better than you? Well I am. Was." Chitose's visible eye narrowed. "Afraid you suck in bed? You do. I had to get my kicks everywhere else because you're so uptight. I—"

"_Shut up!"_ He had Senri hauled up by his pajama shirt, one arm drawn back to punch that cruel, supercilious smirk from his lips. The pair froze like that, Chitose calmly smiling, Tachibana shaking. Swearing, Kippei shoved Senri back on the bed. He sank back into the chair and buried his head in his hands.

"So you _were_ jealous."

He raised red-rimmed eyes. "Why are you doing this, Senri?"

"Because I can. You took my _tennis_ from me, Kippei. We were going to hit the world together, remember? Remember what we promised each other when we swept Regionals? Together. You and me." Chitose turned his head away to stare out the window again. "You stole that from me."

"I didn't—"

"Spare me."

Rough. Rough. Smooth. Rough-Smooth. "What do you want me to do?"

"I can't play tennis anymore."

Kippei sat silent a long while. At last he stood. "I understand."

Chitose waited for his lover to leave before he allowed the hot tears to flow. "Goodbye, Kippei," he whispered.

An was waiting for him when he got home. "How'd it go?"

Kippei brushed past her and threw himself onto the couch. "I'm going to tell Father to accept that transfer," he told her, shielding his eyes with his forearm. "There's no sense staying here anymore."

"Kippei! Your life's here. Your team. Chitose—"

"Nothings left for me here. Nothing." An's soft hand wormed its way into his.

"Don't say that. Chitose-niisan will get better. I know he will. Everything will work out. You'll see. You'll see, Kippei. Don't you always tell me never to give up?"

"I won't be playing tennis anymore."

His sister yanked his arm away from his face. "No! Kippei! Not tennis—it's your life. You told me you'd take the world. Not your dream, Kippei. Not your dream." Angry, she shoved away the tears that threatened to spill.

"It was his dream, too." Kippei whispered. "His dream, too." He noticed his crying sister for the first time. Really looked at her. Sighing, he sat up and pulled her into a hug. "Hey. Don't cry, Apricot. Everything will be all right. You'll see. Shhhh."

"Otan" is Kansai-ben for father…Kyushu dialect is closer to Kansai-ben than that used in Tokyo, so I used the Kansai phrase since I could not find the other.

Special thank you to Just Jill and NiennaAngel for shoving me through this interlude, kicking all the way, but mostly for their encouragement. Thanks!


	5. Solution Decision

**Title:** Sleeping Lion Solution  
**Author:** asongforcrows  
**Rating:** G (this installment)  
**Genre:** General (this chapter)  
**Characters:** Tachibana Kippei, Tachibana An

**Chapter:** Chapter 3, Decision  
**Summary:** The Tachibanas transfer to Tokyo and decide which school to attend.  
**Warnings:** None

Once Kippei's family made its decision, it didn't take long to match intent with action. Kiyoyama Ten'i, the large fashion conglomerate that employed their father, was thrilled that Tachibana-san had accepted their offer of position and promotion, and to prove it, they hired packers and movers to speed the family on its way. Kippei advised An to collect addresses and say goodbye to all of her friends, and before they knew it, they'd not only moved ten prefectures away but to an entirely different island.

The Tokyo schools were quick on the uptake. Once word got out that one of the top five Nationally-ranked players had moved into the area, scholarship offers deluged the Tachibana household—Seishun Gakuen, Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku, Hyoutei Gakuen, Yamabuki, Saint Rudolph Gakuen. The entire mess perplexed Kippei's father, who hadn't had to deal with these decisions before, not while his children were safely ensconced at Shishigaku.

"What about Hyuotei?" he asked. "I must say it's the only school to offer An a scholarship along with you, Kippei. I hear their music program is superlative."

The four of them, Kippei, An, and their parents sat around the kohatsu and discussed offers. An practically bounced in place.

"Hyoutei's orchestra placed second in the national competitions last year! Why would they want me?"

"Because you're a natural, Apricot." Kippei pushed his hair out of his eyes, only to meet empty air. Embarrassed at his gaffe—he had yet to get used to his shorter locks—he focused on his sister.

An beamed. "I am?"

"Yep," he deadpanned. "A natural pest."

An stuck out her tongue. Her mom warned, "Kids!" and her father chuckled and ruffled An's hair. Kippei stared out the window. An didn't understand him at all. If she had five schools fighting over her, she'd be ecstatic. Why wasn't Kippei? She eyed her brother. Each and every offer came from one of Tokyo's top schools, so why not…? A muscle along the side of her brother's jaw twitched as he tried to conceal his irritation from his family. A little furrow plowed straight through that silly tilak he'd taken to wearing right after Chitose-nii—ah. She tried to remember the names of schools she'd watched when they'd all traveled to Tokyo for Nationals two months before. That was why. "They want Kippei for the tennis team, don't they?"

"They can 'want' all they can. I'm not playing. I've outgrown tennis." He spoke easily, cheerfully, but the knuckles that gripped his teacup were white.

"How do you 'outgrow'—" Her mother placed a hand on her knee, and An bit off her protest. No one would look at Kippei.

"Besides, they have over 200 club members. They have plenty of players. They don't need one Tachibana Kippei."

"One nationally ranked Tachibana Kippei," An murmured. "Well, it doesn't matter. I hear Hyoutei's a stuck-up school. No way I'm going to deal with a bunch of snobs, so that's that." She wasn't about to attend a different school than her brother. Besides, and she wouldn't admit this to anyone, Hyoutei probably only offered her that scholarship so they could win Kippei.

"Don't be an idiot," Kippei chided. "Hyoutei's definitely the place for you. They have a first-rate music department. Of course you'll go there."

"But you won't."

He stared over her shoulder. "Well … no. Hyoutei's not the school for me."

What he meant, of course, was they'd pressure him to join the tennis team. As far as she knew, Kippei had kept his vow. He'd stored his tennis things away and hadn't picked up a racket since the day he destroyed Chitose-nii's eye. An folded her arms across her chest.

"Then it's not the school for me either."

Their father sighed. "Then what about Rikkadai? It's a good school—"

"No."

Everyone stared at the normally polite and respectful Kippei. Pink tinted her brother's cheeks, but he held firm. "Another Hyoutei … only … no."

"That's the school with three nationally ranked players, right?" her mother ventured.

"Kaasan, that doesn't matter," Kippei repeated patiently. "I won't be playing."

"Ah."

Her mother busied herself with pouring everyone more tea. An sighed. It wasn't like she had any offers other than Hyoutei.

"Why not Seigaku?" Otan tried. "They have—"

"No! Look, the public school—Fudomine?—is just fine. It's close. I won't even have to take the bus."

"And he'll walk with me," An chirped, "so you won't have to worry that I'll be abducted by white slave traffickers."

The teapot clattered against the table. "Tachibana An! Just where did you hear that term?" Her mother's fine brows drew down into a scowl. "Do you even know what that means?"

"Of course I do. It's men who kidnap young girls to—" Her father cleared his throat loudly.

"But … Fudomine … doesn't have much to offer." Tachibana spared a glance for his son's stoic face. "… academically."

"It's good enough. And there are always cram classes."

"And I'll be with Kippei," An chimed in. "So that's that."

"I hear they have a lovely soccer team," their mother ventured. Everyone smirked. Kippei had been tossed off of six soccer teams when he was younger for lack of skill. Even in gym class, fellow students begged sensei to just let Tachibana warm the bench, please!

"Better stay away then, Kippei," Otan chuckled, "and keep it that way."

Everyone laughed, even Kippei, but sorrow constricted An's heart. How could Onii-chan give up tennis, when he had lived for nothing but it for so long?


	6. Solution Fudomine

**Sleeping Lion Chapter 6 Fudomine**

"I feel like I'm about to enter a haunted house," observed An when they rounded the corner and had their first glimpse of Fudomine Chuu. Shishigaku had been all white tile and verdant gardens. Fudomine stood like a grungy grey sentinel guarding the run-down residential neighborhood it served. Three stories high of sooty gray stone, the school was divided into two distinct wings. A lawn of sorts bordered the sidewalk, but it was patchy and brown. Half-dead shrubs framed the path like skeletal sentinels, and a lone, scrubby sakura tree guarded a dried out pond.

Kippei shrugged. "It's just a school. Nothing to get excited about. It's bound to be a lot different from Shishigaku." He just wanted to report to the office and get things over with. Fudomine was just another chore in a long line of tasks he had to complete. One day in front of the other. He wondered what occupied Senri's day now and quickly quelled the thought. Senri obviously didn't want any contact with him. None of his letters had been answered. Lately, they'd been returned with a huge "refused" scrawled across their face. "Let's check in," he said and led An in search of the administrative offices.

Kobayashi-sensei was a harried, puffy-faced man. He gave An and Kippei the once over as if trying to place them. "Oh, yes! The students from Kyushu. Tachibana, hmm?" He fumbled through a pile of file folders on his desk and extracted two. "Here we go." He flipped through them a moment. If he was surprised the two middle-schoolers before him had opted to attend a run-down public school instead of a private one like they had in the past, he didn't show it. "Tachibana-chan, you're in class 1B and Tachibana-kun, you're in 2A. Just let me find some students to show you around."

He returned a few minutes later with a boy and girl of similar ages. The girl glanced once at Kippei and then away, dismissing him. An fumed at the girl's obvious slur, but Kippei felt relieved. One good result that came from cutting and dying his hair had been a marked decrease in the number of girls fawning over him. The fact that his tilak looked like a huge mole in the center of his forehead didn't hurt matters. That suited Kippei just fine. The last thing he needed was romance, be it with male or female.

His sister was dragged away by the girl, and he was left with a boy about his own age, shorter, with a mop of ebony curls. "Watanabe," the boy introduced himself. "I'm in 2A, too, so I can show you the ropes." He led Kippei through a maze of corridors and hallways. "The cafeteria's there, but most of us eat in our room, outside or on the roof—if you can sneak up there without getting caught." They passed a wooden display case full of golden trophies and paused. Fudomine's soccer team had earned every single one. The largest and most prominent trophy proclaimed Fudomine the National Soccer Champions. "We're gonna take it again this year," Watanabe predicted. "No one has a better soccer team than Fudomine." He scrutinized Kippei's long, lean frame. "You look like an athlete. You play soccer?"

Kippei considered the question as they headed off again. "Yes," he allowed. Before Watanabe could get too excited, he added, "Badly."

"Aw, too bad. We could always use another player."

Even Kippei had to smile at that. "Trust me. You don't want me."

Watanabe laughed. "I'll take your word for it. But you must play some sport, I can always tell."

"Not me. Not interested."

He thought that would silence his companion, but Watanabe proved irrepressible. "You should try out for one of the teams. You're tall enough for basketball…. Hmm, play baseball any? No? Well, anyway, you'll have to join a club. It's a requirement." He screwed up his face in an imitation of someone Kippei didn't know and intoned, "For our growth and enrichment."

Kippei's lips twitched into a smile despite his glum mood. "That's pretty good. Who's that supposed to be?"

"Tanaka-sensei, one of the third year teachers. Not ours, thanks be for small favors. She's into all that touchy-feely, do-gooder crap." He waggled his eyebrows. "Thinks it will soothe the savage beast and all."

"Breast."

A group of girls passed them in the hallway at that moment and shot Kippei a dirty look. One of them sniffed and tossed her hair over her shoulder. It was spoiled by the flirtatious glance she managed to throw the boys before she caught up with her friends. Watanabe sniggered. "You a breast man, huh?"

Kippei decided to ignore the tell-tale warmth of his ear tips. "No…um…the quote. It's 'soothe the savage breast.'" It didn't take Watanabe's rolling eyes for him to know how stupid he sounded. He grinned. "Sound like a dork, don't I? We had a huge unit on famous quotations last year. Guess some of it stuck after all."

"Quotations? Sounds boring. Hey, where you from? Sensei didn't say."

"Kyushu."

"No kidding! I've never been even to Chiba. Tell me about it. There a lot of cute girls at your school? The ones here are so-so. Speaking of, did you catch the name of the new girl who started with you? She was hot."

"Girls are girls, I guess." Watanabe's last question sank in and his feet stopped moving. "Excuse me?"

"That new girl! Don't tell me you didn't notice? Nice legs. I mean, she's obviously just a freshman and all, but around this place you gotta be quick or you miss the best pickings." Watanabe favored Kippei with a roguish wink.

"Pickings…?"

"You know…_girls."_

Kippei blinked. "We're…thinking about the same girl, right? Shoulder-length hair? Blue eyes?"

"Yep. Dreamy. Did she have blue eyes? I didn't get close enough to notice." He nudged Kippei. "So…catch her name?"

"Yeees…." Pickings? Watanabe made his sister sound like a used sweater at a rummage sale. "An."

"Huh?"

"Her name's An."

"Heh…you're a fast worker. Already calling her by her first name, huh?"

Kippei began walking down the hall. He didn't know where they were headed, but he could see stairs. "I know her last name, too," he said. "It's Tachibana. Tachibana An."

Watanabe stopped mid-chortle. He at least had the grace to look embarrassed. "Uh oh. Did I just stick my foot in it?"

He looked so genuinely mortified and apologetic that Kippei had to chuckle. "All the way to your knee. That particular _picking _happens to be my little sister. And she's too young to date."

The shorter boy smirked. "Like that, is it? No worries, Tachibana. I'll stay away from your sister. You look like you pack a mean punch." He slung an arm around the taller boy's shoulder. "It's the third years you're gonna have to worry about…." Still chatting, he guided Kippei up the stairs.

Ibu Shinji was not normal.

The dark-haired boy in front of her continued his running monomumble. An restrained the urge to kick his chair. Again.

Her first attempt to stop his talking ended in abject failure. She had missed something sensei was saying about the Edo Period political situation and kicked the back of the boy's chair. This worked with normal people.

That's when she realized that Ibu Shinji was not normal.

He didn't pause for breath. Ever. Why hadn't he suffocated?

"I don't know why sensei feels the need to repeat the details he told us last week. He's old. Maybe he forgot he already told us. Old people do that sometimes. My grandmother is always forgetting where she's left her glasses or that she's already told us what she had to eat the night before not that any of us really care if she ate shrimp and miso but she seems to think that we should. Kamio-kun's making a face at me. He'll tell me I'm talking in class again but you know I never do and that new girl just kicked my chair. How rude. I don't go around kicking her chair. Not that I could since she sits behind me. And why did Sensei have to sit her there? I liked the empty chair. I planned to store my coat there on chilly days and save a trip down the hall. Now I won't be able to and will have to keep it in my locker after all. Now that girl made a funny noise and something just hit me in the back of my head. Spit ball? It can't be Kamio-kun because he's too far away to throw those at me. That's why sensei made him sit on the other side of the room and—"

"Shut. Up!" An hissed, having had enough.

"…and now she's talking in class. That's not smart. Sensei hates that. He'll get angry and make her stand in the hall. You'd think she'd start her first day off on the right foot, but girls don't seem to care about that sort of thing. All they care about is messing with their hair and giggling, though this girl hasn't giggled yet even though she came in with Sato-chan and _she_ giggles enough for an entire classroom of girls. But maybe she doesn't care about her hair. She wears it back in pigtails like my little sisters only they're eight not thirteen. I wonder why she wears her hair that way? She's obviously too old for it. Kamio-kun keeps making faces at me and Ishido-kun is laughing, too. I wonder if Kamio-kun said something funny? How rude. Kamio is my best friend. He should wait and tell me his jokes, not Ishido-kun, not that Ishido-kun isn't our friend, too, but Kamio should tell me his jokes before anyone else and—"

"_Will_ you be _quiet!"_ An hissed, or at least she thought she'd hissed. It wasn't until the entire classroom turned to look at her—all except Ibu who never once stopped talking—and sensei said, "Tachibana, Ibu, since my lecture holds so little interest for you, wait in the hall until I've finished. No talking," that she realized she'd all but shouted the words.

"B-but, I wasn't—"

"Tachibana-chan! This is not the way to impress me your first day at Fudomine."

"Hai, Sensei." Fuming, An closed her book and marched out the door. A few minutes later, Ibu strolled into the hall. An did a double-take. That idiot was _still _talking.

"I'm always being accused of disrupting class when all I am trying to do is take notes and pay attention," he murmured. "Now I'll have to rely on Kamio's notes and Kamio's notes are never as thorough as mine and I'll probably do poorly on our next exam and it's all because of that new girl talking in class and dragging me into it and getting me into trouble. This is all your fault."

Her mouth worked like a gasping fish for a moment before she managed to growl, "You...!" She'd nearly missed the boy's switch from inner monologue to outer dialogue. "What do you mean it's all my fault? You haven't stopped talking since I sat down this morning! I can barely hear myself think over your mumblings, much less hear sensei's lecture."

"How annoying. Just like a girl. Of course you can't hear yourself think; thinking is done inside your head, not with your mouth. But girls don't have very much logic so it's to be expected you'd say something like that. I do not talk in class. Sensei gets mad when I do. And you should not talk when sensei sends you to the hall or you will get into more trouble and I do not care to be sent to the office because of you. You're very rude to get me into trouble this way."

"Hello? Me rude? You're the one who disrupted the entire class and got _me _punished! I've never gotten into trouble at school before, and now sensei has branded me a trouble-maker and _it's all your fault!" _Okay, that was a fib, but fights didn't count. An had never had a teacher angry with her before, and now it had happened on her first day of school! Kippei would make that disappointed face of his and roll his eyes and tell her to behave and it was all too, too maddening.

The bell rang, announcing lunch, but even that didn't silence Ibu Shinji. He returned An's glower glare for glare.

"I did not get you into trouble. You kicked my chair three times and threw two spit wads at me—what kind of girl even knows how to make a spit ball, much less throw one—plus you talked during sensei's lecture and got me in trouble. You should apologize, but I hardly think you will because you seem to be a rude girl unless all girls are like you where you come from. I don't think you can be from Tokyo because you talk all funny, a little like the Kansai-ben you hear on television but not as nice and—"

Growling, An reached up and slapped her palm over Ibu's lips. "Will. You. Shut. Up!"

Ibu's hand grabbed her wrist, but he did nothing else. Instead, he held her prisoner, glaring daggers, as the hallway filled with chattering students. Girls and boys flowed from the two doors leading into their classroom and out into the hall. An saw her so-called hostess for the day, Sato-chan take one look at them, then, with a toss of her head, whisper and giggle with two other girls before flouncing down the hall. Great. Now how would she find the cafeteria and her brother? Kippei had their bentos.

"Shinji!" A boy from their class—the cute one who sat on the other side of the room and who'd been silently laughing all morning—stood behind them. Next to him waited a very tall boy with short brown hair. An recognized him from her class, too. Great. Three against one.

"You two just stay out of this—" she began.

The redhead ignored her. "Shinji, what are you doing? Let her go."

Still scowling, Ibu released An's wrist. Thinking it prudent to have the use of both hands in case she had to hit someone, An tore her hand from the taller boy's mouth and got ready to fend off three attackers.

"That was very rude. You don't see me slapping my hand against your mouth even though you certainly were irritating and I just wanted you to stop talking. Now Kamio is mad and I don't know why he is. It's not like I hit her. You should never hit girls no matter how annoying. Plus I'm bigger than she is and it would not be right to harm her, even though if any girl deserved hitting, this one does—"

"Shinji, enough!" The redhead glanced at An and then away again, his cheeks tinting pink. The taller boy had covered his mouth to hide his smile, but his shoulders shook. An glared.

"Something funny?"

He looked startled to be confronted by a girl who barely made it to his chest. "Um … uh, no!" His face bloomed a bright red. An scowled. What was with these boys? You'd think they'd never seen a girl before.

"Kamio Akira," the shorter boy introduced himself. Now that she was closer to him, An noticed the wires hanging from around his neck. Rhythmic music echoed tinnily from the headphones. An wondered how he managed to hide his MP3 in class.

"Tachibana An," she mumbled, manners coming to the fore.

"And this is Ishida Tetsu and that, as you already know, is Ibu Shinji." He addressed the still glaring Ibu. "You were talking in class all morning. I'm surprised Tachibana-chan heard anything at all. Did you forget your journal again?"

"I was? I couldn't have been talking. You know how angry sensei gets when I do. But, yes, I had it out last night and forgot to pack it in my book bag this morning so maybe I was talking. In which case I should apologize to Tachibana-chan but she is very rude and I don't wish to apologize to someone so rude and annoying but if I don't Kamio-kun will be mad at me and lecture me about manners the rest of the day and I really don't care to listen to that either so Tachibana-chan I apologize."

An blinked, barely catching the change from internalization to externalization. She frowned. "If you had just listened—" The hallway had emptied, and only the four of them remained. She was going to be late. Kippei would go nuts wondering what had happened to her. "I'm supposed to meet my brother in the cafeteria!" She chose a direction and headed off.

"Why's she going that way?" Ibu's voice trailed behind her. "Doesn't she know that won't take her to—"

Rapid footsteps approached her from behind and the redhead ducked in front of her. "Cafeteria's the other way," he told her. "Looks like Sato-chan ditched you—no surprise there. Why don't we show you? It's the least we—Shinji—can do for getting you in trouble."

He—Kamio, was it?—had a really nice smile. An caught herself smiling back, which totally ruined her scowl, darn it. "Well … okay. But only because Kippei will be worried. Let me get my bag." She ducked into the classroom and emerged moments later to find the trio waiting for her.

Their route was not a straight one. An began to wonder if the three boys were either purposefully trying to confuse her or if they secretly planned to get her lost and leave her behind. She was trying to remember how to retrace their steps through the maze of corridors when she saw Shinji approach a hallway intersection, look around the corner and do an about-face. She couldn't read his expression, but Kamio and Ishida apparently could. Kamio took her gently by the arm, turned her around and headed her back the way they'd come.

"Just what are you three trying to pull?" An tugged her elbow out of Kamio's grip and planted her feet. "Do you think I'm stupid? We should have been at the cafeteria a long time ago."

"I…" Kamio looked over his shoulder. "Sorry. There're some guys we're trying to avoid. Didn't mean to get you in the middle of it—"

"Akira…," Ibu began.

"Right. We need to keep moving. Come on. If we go through the chem. lab we can duck out the other side. The stairs are right there." He took An's elbow again, but she refused to budge. "Please?"

"Oh, all right. But it's bad enough I got sent to the hall today because of one of you. If you're playing some sort of joke, you're going to regret it."

"No jokes," assured Ishida. "Let's hurry."

The new route worked as promised, and at last they entered the cafeteria. Kippei paced back and forth near the food lines, occasionally sharing a word with a shorter, curly-haired boy who slouched in a nearby chair. An grinned when she spied her brother and ran to greet him, her three tour guides trailing behind her.

**A/N **Special thanks to JustJill for doing word sprints with me. Also thanks to all my reviewers. I appreciate the feedback!


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